The dark secret of Vernon Dursley
by Elvenblade2005
Summary: Uncle Vernon is Hiding something. Dudley is very fat. And the strange things happening this summer are making Harry desperate to uncover the dark secret of Vernon Dursley. Set in the summer after OotP. Please R and R. on indefinate hiatus
1. Chapter one

The dark secret of Vernon Dursley

Harry Potter peered out into the driveway of Privet Drive. His luminous alarm clock showed he had been16 for seven hours and that his aunt Petunia would soon be rapping on his door and ordering him to make the breakfast. Every year since he was thirteen the Dursleys had ignored his birthdays and before that they had been below rubbish but he got dressed with the happy thought that later that day owls from all his friends would be flying through his window with presents and if he was lucky they might even annoy uncle Vernon.

"Get up! Get up!" screeched aunt Petunia right on time as usual and followed quickly by Harry's whale of a cousin, Dudley, stampeding down the stairs. Harry who had been awake for hours quickly got downstairs, put the bacon on and took his seat opposite his uncle. Uncle Vernon looked very tired this morning and even more angry than usual. Harry guessed it was something to do with the argument he had heard between him and Aunt Petunia late last night. He couldn't make out what it was about but it sounded quite serious. It didn't matter to him what happened to these stupid muggles anyway: not when Sirius had just died and Lord Voldermort was stronger than ever. The Dursleys annoyed him now, more than ever, with the way they just went about their pointless life, not knowing what was going on under their noses, not knowing that it was very likely these were the last days of their lives.

Throughout breakfast Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon barely spoke a word to each other and when they did it was very formal. Uncle Vernon rushed out to work earlier than usual without even so much as a goodbye. Dudley, who was too busy practically inhaling his breakfast, didn't notice and Harry, who simply didn't care, finished his breakfast and went back to his room.

When he entered his room he smiled at the sight before him; Errol, the Weasleys' old owl, lay unconscious on his bed with two packages lying next to him. Pidwidgeon

was being chased around the the room by an owl Harry didn't recognise. He was already struggling under the weight of an enourmas parcel that was tied to his tiny leg so settled himself on Harrys shoulder.

Firstly Harry revived Errol with some water from Hedwig's bowl and took one of the parcels he had brought him. It was from Hermione, the letter attached read;

_Dear Harry,_

_Happy Birthday! I Hope your summer isn't going too badly. Hopefully you can come to the Burrow soon anyway. I hope you like your present._

_Hermione_

She had sent him an extremely large book on advanced defense against the dark arts.

The other package was from Mrs Weasley who sent him a large chocolate birthday cake and a letter wishing him a happy birthday.

Ron sent him an assortment of dark-detectors to go with his pocket sneakascope and the owl Harry didn't recognise was from Remus who sent some England quidditch robes with Potter written on the back.

Now considerabley happier he left the Dursleys House to find something to waste his day on.


	2. Chapter two

**Chapter 2**

Around seven pm Harry came back from his mooching. He had seen Dudley walking home and thought it was best to be in around the same time as him to avoid an argument with the Dursleys. For the second time that day Harry walked into his bedroom to find another unexpected sight before him.

Uncle Vernon was stood leaning out of his bedroom window clinging on to Hedwig who was desperately trying to fly away.

'What on Earth are you doing?' asked Harry incredulously.

Uncle Vernon, who had not noticed Harry until this point, quickly let go of the snowy owl and turned towards him.

'I…I was…don't ask questions!' and with that he stormed out of the room almost breaking Harry's nose as he slammed the door in his face. If Harry had been less bewildered he would have noticed the piece of paper scrunched up in his uncle's fat fist.

Hedwig flew back in and gave him a look that clearly said 'what was all that that about?'

and then went back to the safety of her cage.

Dinner was extremely quiet that night; Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia still weren't talking, Dudley didn't like to talk during meals anyway because it wasted his valuable eating time and Harry daren't bring up what had happened with uncle Vernon earlier that day.

Harry was woken up in the middle of the night again with another dream about Sirius's

Death. Downstairs he could hear the muffled voices of another argument between his aunt and uncle. He tried to ignore it for a while but the the memory of uncle Vernon clutching on to Hedwig kept popping into his mind. Maybe this was something to do with that? It was a long shot but the thought kept creeping into his head so he decided to go investigate.

He crept downstairs as silently as he could, avoiding the creaky bottom stair, and pressed his ear against the keyhole on the door.

'No Vernon! It's already bad enough with _him_ in the house. I won't allow anymore freakishness!'

'But Petunia dear, it's _dangerous_. They're not just after wizards'.

'Aaaaaaaaaah! Don't you dare say that word in my house! I knew…I knew all along that eventually you wouldn't be able to resist it and you would join them!'

Harry grew more and more interested as he pressed his ear harder against the door but he didn't get to hear the rest because the door suddenly opened and he tumbled into the living room.

'BOY!' Uncle Vernon grabbed him by his shirt. 'What were you doing out there?'

'I…I was just coming for a glass of water and I tripped over.' He said uncertainly.

'Liar!' screamed aunt Petunia 'you were listening to us! How much did you hear?'

'Nothing, I swear.' And with that he darted upstairs.

Back in his room he leaned against his door, breathing hard. Uncle Vernon was in touch with wizards? How was that possible? Things were really getting strange around here.


	3. Chapter three

Chapter 3

The next morning Harry woke up early just as the sun was rising. He planned to get a quick breakfast and get out of the house before the Dursleys were awake; they probably wouldn't even notice he was gone until they needed him to clean up or something. He was just pulling his T-shirt over his head when he felt something. It was hard to describe. It was like a subtle change in the air, it felt familiar and comforting. It was something he had felt before and he remembered the times he had felt it very strongly; when he had picked up his wand for the first time and when he had first entered the wizarding world. It was magic.

Harry was sure he wouldn't have even felt it if he hadn't been away from Hogwarts for so long but there was no mistaking it; someone, in this house, had used magic.

Harry crept silently onto the landing. He peeked his head around Dudley's door and immediately saw the large lump of covers snoring loudly that was Dudley. As quietly as he could he craned his neck into the next room to see a sleeping Aunt Petunia but no Uncle Vernon. Apparently he wasn't the only one awake.

He glided down the stairs to find the living room, kitchen and dining room surprisingly empty. Where was uncle Vernon? Harry slumped down on the sofa feeling slightly put out that he hadn't found anything. Now that he thought about it, Uncle Vernon had probably just gone to work early and that magic feeling was so slight he could have just imagined it.

Just then though, a dull glow from the dining room caught his attention. He went to investigate and was shocked to see a pensieve lying on the shiny wooden table. He stared at it trying to think why on earth he hadn't noticed it before; but wait…Uncle Vernon couldn't be _in there_ could he? No he didn't even know what a pensieve was. Did he?

Harry pulled out his wand and swilled the small amount of silvery liquid in the bottom, the surface cleared to reveal a scene. Harry could see his headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, talking to a plump boy of about ten or eleven. Dumbledore looked slightly younger so he guessed this must have been a few years ago. Harry also saw Uncle Vernon watching in the corner; invisible to the people in the memory. Harry wanted to go inside the pensieve too but thought if he got into an argument with Uncle Vernon he would miss the rest of the memory. Harry settled for watching through the top.

"…_really now Vernon there's no need to be afraid of magic," Dumbledore said comfortingly to the young boy._

"_Mar-Marge says it's unnatural and it's dangerous," the boy said in a small voice, glancing at Dumbledore nervously._

_Dumbledore sighed and looked at the boy huddled before him; obviously terrified._

"_Ver-" He was cut short by a rather large girl of about 16 who had just entered the room._

"_You again" she said, eyeing Dumbledore with distaste. "I told you to stay away from my brother"_

"_Now really miss Dursley" said Dumbledore who looked to be getting quite agitated_

"_you really have no right to stop your brother-"_

_Once again she rudely interrupted him._

"_He's made up his mind so stop badgering us."_

"_Very well" said Dumbledore, defeated "but don't hesitate to contact me if you change your mind" and with that he dissaparated._

The pensieve clouded over to show the memory was finished and Harry found himself faced with a very pale looking uncle Vernon. Uncle Vernon stared at him in horror.

"Boy" He managed to choke out.

When Harry stared back at him nonchalantly he stuttered;

"Did-did you…did you see?"

"Just the end I think" replied Harry who was suddenly feeling he should try being civil to uncle Vernon.

Uncle Vernon opened his mouth to say something but was cut short by Dudley waddling into the room.

"Mor-Mor-Morning Dad" he said stifling a huge yawn.

"Son" he said in a strangely high pitched voice "what are you doing up so early?"

"I've got training" Dudley turned on Harry and frowned "make me some bacon"

"Yes _your majesty"_ Harry replied sarcastically.

Dudley immediately turned to his Dad to see what Harry's punishment would be but Uncle Vernon shot a nervous glance at Harry and said;

"Er, I'll make the bacon shall I?"

Harry knew it would be a while before he could talk to Uncle Vernon again so he left the room without a word.

Harry walked around the identical streets of Little Whinging for almost an hour thinking about what he saw in the pensieve. It was turning out to be a very strange summer so far and he was utterly confused. He decided he would need to start demanding answers, and soon.


	4. Chapter four

**Chapter Four**

_Dear Remus,_

_Hi, how are you? I'm OK except my uncle, you know, Uncle Vernon has been acting really strangely recently and you're not going to believe this but yesterday I came downstairs and guess where he was? Inside a pensieve! And in this memory he was talking to Dumbledore. I only saw the end so I'm not sure what that was all about but I'd like to know what you think. _

_Write back soon_

_Harry_

Harry copied the same letter twice, but addressed to Ron and Hermione, and fell back onto his bed. He wasn't really sure how his friends could help but there was nothing else he could do until he had the chance to talk to Uncle Vernon.

What on Earth was going on with Uncle Vernon? Harry had lost count of the amount of times he had asked himself that question. First, the arguments with aunt Petunia, then the incident with Hedwig and the window, now this pensieve thing. He just wished he didn't keep catching the very end of stuff. He yawned loudly and drifted off to sleep.

The next morning Harry sneaked outside and sat in the front seat of Uncle Vernon's car. Moments later he was joined by the man himself ready to set of to work. He calmly got into the car and jumped at the sight of Harry. At first he looked like he was going to do the usual turning purple and roaring his head off routine but seemed to think better of it and said in a voice quite a few octaves higher than usual;

"What are you doing here, Harry?"

Harry was momentarily stunned into silence. He hadn't heard Uncle Vernon call him by his name since…ever. Usually he gave him the pleasant nicknames of 'Boy','_Him'_

or in extreme moments of hatred 'The Freak'.

Harry snapped out of his shock and said as coolly as he could;

"You've been avoiding me..." Then he added: "…_Dursley" _with a nasty grin. (Well what was the point of not seizing the opportunity of Uncle Vernon being afraid of him. Last time it had happened he had been moved out of the cupboard into his own room.)

"I-I don't know what you mean" Uncle Vernon's voice was now so high Harry was sure that a load of dogs would soon come running into Uncle Vernon's car.

"Ever since the incident with the pensieve you've been avoiding me, even more than usual" Harry said. "I want an explanation".

Sweat beads appeared on Uncle Vernon's face and he gulped hard.

"Well I suppose there's no avoiding it, you were always going to find out someday, I don't see why it shouldn't be today. I'm just going to say it. Harry I'm-"

Uncle Vernon stopped suddenly at the sound of a loud CRACK! Harry found himself faced with the large freckly faces of Fred and George Weasly pressed up against the car window.


	5. Chapter five

**Chapter five**

Fred yanked the car door open and pulled Harry out onto the street.

"Hi Harry!" George practically yelled in his face.

"Er Hi, what are you doing here?"

"We've come to rescue you" Fred said with his biggest grin yet.

George stuck his wand out into the street signalling for the knight bus which joined them seconds later.

"O 'ello Neville er I mean Harry. "Where to sirs?"

"The burrow" replied George, pulling Harry onto the knight bus.

"You'll be on the second deck" said Stan gesturing towards the stairs "just yell if you need anything"

Harry sat on the purple cushion seat in shock. Just a few minutes ago uncle Vernon was about to tell him his secret and now he was on the way to the burrow and probably wasn't going to be able to speak to Uncle Vernon until the end of the next school year. He couldn't help feeling angry at Fred and George for just assuming he wanted to leave like that but then again after all the years he had moaned about the Dursley's why would they think any different?

"We'll accio your luggage over as soon as we get home" said Fred "oh and then we might be going to spend the rest of the summer at Grimmauld place"

A lump suddenly surfaced in Harry's throat at the thought of returning to Sirius's old house. George must have noticed his change of expression because he asked worriedly;

"Is that alright?"

"Yeah" Harry choked out "I'm off to go see if Stan has something to eat"

And he hurried out of the compartment.

Instead of heading downstairs he made his way onto the deserted top deck and sat down at the back. He had managed to keep Sirius off his mind for most of the summer but now he felt those old feelings trying to resurface. He had refused to let himself cry in front of other people, especially the Dursleys. The Burrow would be even worse though, usually he loved going there and having all the Weasleys around him- they were like his family- but there were constant interruptions over there and with all of this going on he needed time alone with his thoughts.

There was so much buzzing through his mind; Sirius, Voldemort, the prophesy, and now this Uncle Vernon thing. How could it be that the man who all his life he had known to hate wizards more than anything in world was only half an hour ago inside a pensieve talking to Albus Dumbledore the most powerful wizard alive. Harry's head began to throb so he laid down on the long back seat and felt himself drift in to a deep sleep.

Harry was once again in the long corridor leading to the Department of Mysteries. He took the familiar route to the end door and went in. Instead of coming into the circular room he was next to the veil. It was exactly as it was the day Sirius died. He could hear the voices whispering from the other end and felt sadness overwhelm him.

"Give him back!" he found himself shouting at the inanimate archway. "Just send him back out!"

To Harry's surprise the piece of cloth was blown upwards and his Godfather stepped out looking as though nothing had happened.

"Hey, Harry" he said nonchalantly.

"Si-Sirius?" Harry croaked out,

"Yep".

A huge grin spread across Harry's face.

"I can't believe you're alive! I-"

Harry felt a huge jerk as though he was using a portkey and the Department of Mysteries blurred around him. Just after he saw Sirius disappear, Harry hit a hard stone floor.

He could tell he was underground because there was no light coming in except from the torches hanging from brackets on the wall. In the corner three figures stood. They seemed not to have noticed his arrival.

He sneaked into the shadows and moved closer to get a better look at the two people who he instantly recognized as Voldemort and Wormtail. The third had his arms strapped to the wall and stood slumped, unmoving. Harry's stomach gave a sickening lurch as he realised the man was dead. The dead man's face was in shadow. He tried to move closer to get a better look but he stopped when he heard someone call his name from across the room.

He spun round to see no one there but heard the voice echo through the room again. He looked nervously at Voldemort and Wormtail but they were talking to each other in quiet murmurs as though nothing had happened.

"Harry!" he heard again but this time louder. "Harry. Wake up!"

He felt sunlight breach his eyelids and opened them to find him self on the knight bus. Fred Weasley was shaking him awake.

"Come on Harry. We're here"


	6. Chapter six

**Chapter 6**

When Harry entered the Weasley kitchen he was surprised to see the Weasleys were looking much more solemn than usual. Mr and Mrs Weasley, Ron, Ginny, Charlie and bill were sat around the small table, their eyes red. On the table in front of Mrs Weasley there was a crumpled and wet looking piece of paper that had the ministry seal stamped in the corner.

"What's going on?" said Fred looking worried.

George rushed over and snatched up the paper from the table. Harry watched as his face turned paler as his eyes travelled further down the page.

"Perce…" he whispered to himself.

This set Mrs Weasley sobbing into her dirty handkerchief. The Weasleys all moved to comfort her. They all hugged together as Harry lingered in the corner not knowing what to do. George had dropped the paper and it now lay on the floor unnoticed, he scooped it up, dreading his fears would be confirmed.

It said;

_Dear Mr and Mrs Weasley,_

_Early this morning the ministry of magic was attacked by death eaters. The aurors on call were greatly outnumbered so the staff bravely joined the fight. Percy Ignatius Weasley died fighting for the lives of others and went down bravely._

_I am truly sorry for your loss._

_Madam Amelia Bones._

Harry felt sick. Percy had always been his least favourite Weasley but he did not deserve this. He looked over at the sobbing family, his best friend among them, and felt anger start to grow inside him. He was angry at Voldemort, angry at the death eaters and angry at himself. He had let this happen, he had let Wormtail go, _he _had unleashed Voldemort back into this world.

Harry threw the paper to the ground and ran up the stairs into Ron's room. A sleeping bag was laid out next to his trunk. He threw it furiously across the room and flopped down on the bright orange bed. Someone knocked at the door and came in without waiting for an answer. His other best friend Hermione Granger entered the room.

"I gather you heard about Percy" she said timidly.

Harry didn't answer.

"It's not … your fault you know." She carried on "I know you blame yourself because of Wormtail in third year but…" she seemed not to know what else to say.

Harry turned to face Hermione; his anger had ebbed away slightly.

"They're all going to hate me."

"You know that's not true, Mr and Mrs Weasley see you as their own son."

She tentatively put her hand on his shoulder but said nothing more. They sat together in silence as they got lost in their respective thoughts.

Harry spent a week at the Weasleys', tiptoeing around trying to stay out the way of Percy's grieving relatives. Ron didn't want to play chess or quidditch like they used to do but Harry understood. He found himself spending more time with Hermione, the two were still sad over Percy's death but it was different for them, they weren't family.

About a week after he had arrived Harry, Hermione and the Weasleys were all getting into ministry hired cars that would take them to Percy's funeral. The silence during the journey was unbearable. The occasional sob from Mrs Weasley in the front seat was all that could be heard. Harry stared out of the window but didn't take in what he saw. Percy's death had not been as shocking as Cedric's nor as tragic as Sirius' but it scared Harry that this feeling he got when he realised that the person was never coming back was becoming almost _normal_ to him now.

The drive was short and they were soon pulling up outside a graveyard and being ushered out of the car by Mr Weasley. The sky was stereotypically grey and gloomy and a gentle breeze swept past them as they made their way up to the crumbling church. Inside it was slightly warmer and they sat down in the front pews. Harry was sitting with Ron on one side and Ginny on the other, Hermione was next to Ron and Mr and Mrs Weasley had next to her. Bill, Charlie and the twins weren't around. Among the crowd Harry recognised a few people; Dumbledore and the Hogwarts teachers were together, many teachers were crying hove their old favourite student.

Also dotted around in various places Harry could see, Remus, Tonks, Kingsley, Mad-eye and lots of faces he recognised from the ministry.

Dumbledore rose from his seat and walked to the front to deliver his speech;

"You all know why we here today, so I will not be going into the details of Mr Weasleys death. I will not be informing you all on what kind of person he was, nor will I be talking to you all about how tragic and traumatic this event is. That is for those who knew him best" He nodded slightly in the direction of the Weasleys "I do, however, have this to say. Voldemort is here. He is powerful. He will kill again. In fact there's a good chance he is killing someone as we speak. I do not say this to upset you or to scare you. I say this because you must prepare yourself for this, it will get worse but no matter how dark these times become the most important thing we can do is to never accept that Voldemort can beat us and we must never resign ourselves to believe that he rules us. Now that is said we will proceed with this funeral."


End file.
